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4 specific strategies stalkers use—and steps you should take if someone is stalking you

Stalking is its own unique crime, but people may not be aware of everything it can entail.

Photo credit: Canva

Stalking is a serious crime.

If you've ever been the victim of a stalker, you know how scary it can feel. The constant fear and uneasiness. The persistent feeling of your privacy and security being violated. The never knowing what the person might do next and feeling like your safety is in danger.

What people need to know is that stalking itself is a crime all on its own. It doesn't have to escalate to violence or involve other criminal activity in order to be documented, reported, and prosecuted. That's why it's important to know the signs of stalking, the strategies stalkers use to victimize, and the steps you should take if someone is stalking you—preferably before it ever happens.

What is stalking? Is it an actual crime?

First, let's define stalking. On the one hand, it's slightly complicated, since different jurisdictions have different legal definitions. However, according to the U.S. Department of Justice, "stalking is generally defined as a pattern of behavior directed at a specific person that would cause a reasonable person to feel fear." It is officially a crime in all 50 states, and at the federal level, stalking is considered "dangerous and potentially lethal."

More specifically, a stalking "pattern of behavior" may include "following a person; driving by a victim’s place of employment or school; sending unwanted gifts, cards, or e-mails; persistently calling or text messaging; tracking a victim’s whereabouts using technology such as cameras or global positioning systems (GPSs); vandalizing property; and threatening to hurt the victim, his or her family, another person, or pets."

woman holding her hand over her mouth while holding a cell phoneStalking makes victims feel afraid with a pattern of behavior.Photo credit: Canva

The 4 specific strategies stalkers use

According to the Stalking Prevention, Awareness, & Resource Center (SPARC), stalker strategies fall under four main categories—Surveillance, Life Invasion, Intimidation, and Interference. The SPARC website offers these specific questions under each category to determine if someone is stalking you:

1) Surveillance = watching and gathering information

Has the offender…

• followed you?

• watched you?

• shown up unexpectedly?

• gone through your mail or trash?

• sought information about you from friends, family, or other acquaintances?

• communicated with you in ways that seemed obsessive or made you concerned for your safety?

• accessed your accounts (for example, social media, online finances)?

• planted a camera, GPS tracker, or other device on your vehicle or in your home?

• used tracking software on your phone, tablet, or computer to track you?

• monitored your activity online?

2) Life Invasion = showing up in your life without the your consent

Has the offender…

• repeatedly initiated unwanted contact with you (for example, repeated phone calls, texts, messages, emails?)

• sent gifts to you or left objects/items for you to find?

• tried to initiate contact with you through third parties?

• spread rumors about you? • humiliated, or tried to humiliate, you in public?

• impersonated you online? • hacked into your accounts?

• harassed friends, family members, or other third parties?

• sent photos of themselves or of you in locations that you frequent?

• invaded your property (like letting themselves into your home or vehicle)?

• shown up at places you frequent (for example, your gym, child’s daycare, grocery store)?

woman peering at a couple from behind a pillarPeople of all genders can be stalkers or victims of stalking.Photo credit: Canva


3) Intimidation = threatening behavior

Has the offender…

• threatened you explicitly or implicitly, in-person or online?

• threatened family, friends, pets, or others that you care about?

• threatened to destroy property, harm pets, or to sabotage you in other ways?

• blackmailed you? • threatened to share/post private information about you unless you perform sexual acts?

• engaged in symbolic violence (like a crushed soda can or burnt doll) that you perceived as a threat?

• threatened to or actually harmed themselves?

• done anything that has intimated, frightened, or alarmed you?

4) Interference = sabotaging or attacking your reputation, employment, physical safety, etc.

Has the offender…

• significantly and directly interfered with your life?

• damaged your property or stolen from you?

• disrupted your professional and/or social life?

• caused you to have a serious accident?

• meddled in online accounts (social media, finances, etc.)?

• posed as you and created harm?

• forcibly kept you from leaving or held you against your will?

• assaulted you while stalking, harassing, or threatening you?

• assaulted your friends, family, or pets, or seriously attacked you in other ways?

• shared with others and/or posted online private photos of you and/or information about you?

You don't have to answer yes to every question in order to confirm you are being stalked—again, you're looking for a pattern of behavior. These strategies overlap, and stalkers will often change their tactics over time. It's easy to think, "Well, they're not doing that," but if there are multiple yeses under multiple categories, it may worth taking a more comprehensive assessment here.

person on cell phoneCall the police if you feel you are in imminent danger.Photo credit: Canva

What steps should you take if you're being stalked (or suspect you are)?

Let's say you are pretty sure someone is stalking you. What do you do about it?

First of all, if you feel like you are in imminent danger or harm, call 911 immediately. You can also try one of the following advocacy groups who can help you with the resources you need:

Victim Connect (anonymous crime hotline) 1-800-4-VICTIM

National Domestic Violence Hotline 1-800-799-7233

National Sexual Assault Hotline (RAINN) 1-800-656-HOPE

But other more general tips for navigating a stalker situation include:

- Trust your instincts. Stalking can be disorienting and other people may or may not be supportive of your concerns. Your safety is more important than other people's perceptions of what's happening.

- Call the police if you feel you are in danger. Tell them about the stalker's actions and behavior and how they are causing you fear.

- Document everything. Keep a record or log of every contact you have with the stalker as well as any police reports you make. SPARC offers a sample log you can use. Keep it in a safe and private place.

- Save evidence as much as you can. Evidence might include emails, texts, photos, social media posts, or physical notes.

- Use tech wisely. Cyberstalking is a crime as well. Do not respond to stalkers online and block them on your phone and social media if possible. Screenshot and save anything they send. If they send threats of violence, sexually explicit message or images or photos/videos taken of you in private places, report them to law enforcement immediately.

Stalking can be a difficult crime for victims to know how to handle, and it's not always easy to get people to believe you when it's happening. But knowing what it is, what it can look like, and what to do if someone stalks you are important so you can start off prepared if it happens.

For more information, see the SPARC Stalking Victim Handbook here and check out stalkingawareness.org.

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Health

Forensics student reveals the two types of women predators target based on how they walk

It's chilling that they all have the same "type."

via Екатерина Шумских/Pexels, Vladimir Konoplev/Pexels and Teona Swift/Pexels

Three woman walking down city streets.

A forensics student named Alex recently shared vital information on TikTok that all women should know. She detailed the specific signs male predators are looking for when they choose a victim.

Her video is based on a 2013 study entitled “Psychopathy and Victim Selection: The Use of Gait as a Cue to Vulnerability.” For the study, researchers interviewed violent criminals in prison and asked them the type of women they’d be most likely to victimize.

The study found that the criminals all agreed that how the woman walked was a deciding factor.

“What the selected women all had in common was the way that they walked and how they generally held themselves in public,” Alex says in the video she later deleted but has been shared broadly across the platform.

@gatita_bunee

How to walk for your safety! #women #safety #tips #walking #kidnapping #murder #attacks #fyp

“The selected women all had a similar ‘awkwardness’ to the way that they walked and carried themselves,” she continued. “The first part of the woman had a gait that was a little bit too small for their body, which resulted in smaller steps, slower speed and their arms more typically to their sides, or crossed, as well as their heads being down and not really taking in their general surroundings, which indicated three different things to these potential attackers.”

The woman’s body language signaled to attackers that she was fearful and anxious and because her head was down, she'd be easier to surprise. Alex then described the second type of woman the criminals said they’d target.

“On the other hand, the other part of the women that were selected had a gait that seemed a bit too big for their body and their arms tended to flail to the sides and seemed just overly awkward,” Alex continued.

The woman with the bigger gait signaled to potential attackers that she may be clumsy and won’t put up a good fight. “Because their arms were out and flailing to the side, it left the lower body open to, again, come around and grab them,” she said.

woman walking, predators, crime

Two women walking down the street.

via Mâide Arslan/Pexels

​The video was helpful because Alex also discussed the types of women the attackers wouldn’t pursue. Alex says these women “walked with a gait that tended to be more natural to their body.” She adds they moved at the same pace as those in the immediate area, with their shoulders back and chins up and asserting a general sense of confidence.

“Essentially, the women that were not selected gave off an energy that said, ‘Don’t mess with me. I will put up a good fight.’ And that’s why they weren’t selected,” Alex said. “I know that it sounds silly, but something as simple as the way you walk or the way that you carry yourself in public could determine the likelihood that you become a target of a predator.”

Alex concluded her video by sharing an acronym that can help prevent women from being victimized while in public: STAAR.

S(tride) — Walk with a natural stride to your body and not too far apart or short.

T(all) — Stand tall. Keep your shoulders back and your chin up. Assert a natural confidence and dominance to those around you.

A(rms)—Swing your arms naturally by your sides, avoiding keeping them too close to your body or flailing out of your natural range of motion.

A(wareness) — Stay aware of your surroundings. Take notice if something feels or looks off.

R(elax): Stay cool, calm, and collected and don’t indicate to a potential attacker that you feel or see something is wrong.


This article originally appeared on 5.2.24







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Wellness

Everyone should know this international hand signal for 'Help Me'

Knowing this discreet-but-distinct hand signal could save a life.

Image via YouTube/Canadian Women's Foundation

One of the scariest things about being trapped in a situation with a dangerous person is how many people don't notice. Abusers, kidnappers, traffickers, and the like often monitor and control a person so tightly that asking for help seems impossible.

There are countless stories of people managing to slip someone a note saying they need help or signaling in some other way that they're in an unsafe situation. Wouldn't it be great if there was a way that they could quickly, yet discreetly, alert people that they were in trouble without flagging the person putting them in danger?

There is. It's the international signal for help, and it's going viral for all the right reasons.

A video shared by Indian restauranter Harjinder Singh Kukreja shows several scenarios in which a person needs help and signals with a simple hand gesture we all need to learn to recognize—or if necessary, use ourselves.

- YouTubewww.youtube.com

In the video, a woman on a balcony, a man at the door during a delivery, and a girl walking down a hallway with a man all give the signal without their abuser knowing.

The Signal for Help campaign was launchedby the Canadian Women's Foundation last April, and has gained traction around the world thanks to the reach of partners such as the Women's Funding Network, the world's largest philanthropic network for girls and women. With the coronavirus pandemic getting into full swing, it was clear that people were going to be spending a lot more time on video calls and people in abusive situations were going to be spending a lot more time with their abusers. The Signal for Help initiative was a way to discreetly communicate via video call that you were in a dangerous situation without having to say a word.

As we saw in the first video, the signal is useful for more than just Zoom calls. The only issue is that this signal only works if people recognize it and know what it means. That's why people are sharing the video and encouraging others to do the same.

What's great about the signal is that it can be done discreetly. Since it only requires one hand, it's more convenient than the American Sign Language sign for "help," which requires two hands. It's simple, subtle, and swift enough to be easy to use in lots of different circumstances (as we see in the videos) but also distinct enough that those who know it will recognize it instantly. It's even something we can teach young children.

We know that domestic violence is a going concern, especially during the pandemic when people are trapped at home with their abusers. We also know that human trafficking is a billion-dollar global industry and that victims are sometimes being transported in broad daylight. The more tools we have for getting people help the better, but first we need to know when someone actually needs help.

Learning and sharing this hand sign far and wide will help spread awareness, enable more victims of violence to ask for help in a safe way, and hopefully even save lives.


This article originally appeared on 3.21.21

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Teen foils a hotel-room intruder by using a trick her cop stepdad taught her

Great advice and quick thinking saved her life.

via Josie Bowers / TikTok

Josie Bowers, a 19-year-old woman from Canada, shared the story of how she thwarted an intruder when she was 15. The viral TikTok video is a harrowing tale and also an important lesson for everyone to learn.

Josie was staying with her family at the Ocean City Hilton in Maryland when the incident occurred. She went to her hotel room alone to take a shower while her family was on the beach.

After getting out of the shower, she was alarmed when she noticed a long wire with a hook at the end wiggling its way out of the crack at the bottom of the front door. The hook was waving around, trying to catch the handle to open the door.

It's amazing that no one in the hallway noticed someone shoving a wire through the bottom of a door.

The intruders eventually caught the handle with the wire and pulled it down to enter the room. Without hesitation, Josie slammed the door shut and put on the deadbolt.

"My main thought was holy shit I'm in a towel right now and someone is about to break in and get me," she said on TikTok. "So the door opens a crack, and I just slammed it back shut and put the deadbolt on."

After the door was shut on the intruders, they pretended to work for the hotel. "So they tell me your keycard is broken and we need to get into the room and fix your keypad for you," she continued. "And so I open the door a tad bit, to see if it was a worker. It clearly wasn't, they were in jeans and a T-shirt. Hilton keeps it pretty classy, not the attire."


@josiebowers10

Reply to @emmade1rey #part2


Josie then remembered a trick that her stepfather, who's a police officer, once told her: Never let people know you're alone.

"I yelled 'Hey dad, there's someone here to fix the door.' As soon as they thought that I wasn't alone – and potentially my dad was there – they ran, they were gone," she said. A lot of people freeze in such a stressful situation but Josie was able to remember her stepfather's advice and it made all the difference.

Given their reaction, it's pretty clear that the intruders must have followed her up from the beach or had some inside information to know that she was alone. They didn't want anything to do with her father.

The TikTokker shared the video to show others what they should do in a similar situation and to remind them to never let anyone know they are alone.

"I'm glad I had this experience so I can teach people about it. Obviously, I'm safe but it could have ended up a lot worse," she said. "Be safe, you can get door stoppers, always put on the deadbolt."


This article originally appeared on 8.24.21

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